The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge

The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge

The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge is a must-see destination if you happen to be anywhere near Campbellford Ontario. As the name would suggest, it's a suspension bridge across the Ranney Gorge within sight of the Ranney Falls on the Trent River. There's a power generating station at Ranney falls, just as there are at many locations up and down the Trent River.

Being a bridge, there are two pretty easy ways to get to it, one on either side. The best way is through Ferris Provincial Park, just a five minute drive south of Campbellford. The trail leading up to the bridge offers some magnificent views of the bridge itself.

The bridge is 300 feet across, and about 30 feet above the water. From what I've read there are people who believe this is a bit daunting and prefer not to go across. I guess the fear of heights is difficult to overcome, especially when the bridge sways a little underfoot. It was a bit of a challenge for my son, but he got over it. It probably doesn't help much that you can see and hear the water flowing by directly underfoot.

The views from the middle of the bridge, as you can see from the photos, are well worth the journey though.

The bridge was built in 2004, so it's still a relatively new structure, which is very reassuring. There are no rusty bolts or creaky parts. While there are a ton of other things to do in Ferris Provincial Park (subject matter for another local blog post), I'm going to have to say that the highlight of the day was the bridge. Who can resist walking across a swaying see-through bridge 30 feet above a fast moving body of water? Next time you're in the area, be sure to have a look. Even if you don't feel like walking across the bridge, it's still worth the visit.